The Legend of La Llorona, weeping woman, is set in the Venezuelan Llanos during the colonial period. She was a pretty but humble maiden named Maria. A rich young man of high society fell in love with her. He married her and bought a casita, a love-nest, for her, where they were happy for many years and had two sons together. His family did not approve of her and wanted him to marry a girl of his own class. He left Maria and their sons, but she believed he would come back one day.
When returning home from the village with her children they came across a man and a beautiful woman on a carriage next to the riverbank. When they approached the carriage Maria realized the man was her husband, he had remarried. Their sons, not remembering their father’s face, jumped excitedly at the rich beautiful carriage. Their father handed them gifts and paid no attention to Maria, not even a glance toward her. The man and woman rode away waving goodbye to the children. In her fit of blind rage, Maria grabbed her sons, threw them into the river and drowned them. Horrified by what she had done, she jumped into the river to join her sons.
Unfortunately for Maria, she committed two mortal sins–murder and suicide–and because of this she was doomed to roam the earth as a restless spirit searching endlessly for her lost children.
Her story is shared to encourage children to not wander off in the dark or near bodies of water. Those who hear her cries are destined for misfortune, as she will act without mercy to find her children and will often drown the children she finds after realizing they are not her sons.
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